Tolterodine: What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider?
You should talk with your healthcare provider prior to taking tolterodine if you have:
- Kidney disease, such as kidney failure (renal failure)
- Liver disease, including liver failure, cirrhosis, or hepatitis
- An irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia)
- Glaucoma
- Digestive problems (especially those that involve slow emptying of food from the stomach)
- Difficulty passing urine
- An enlarged prostate (also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH)
- Any allergies, including allergies to food, dyes, or preservatives.
Also, let your healthcare provider know if you are:
- Pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant
- Breastfeeding.
Make sure to tell your healthcare provider about all other medicines you are taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
How Does Tolterodine Work?
Tolterodine is one of a group of medications known as antimuscarinics or anticholinergics. The drug works by blocking specific receptors in the bladder, called muscarinic receptors, which helps to relax the muscles of the bladder. Since an
overactive bladder is often due to bladder muscle
contractions that are too frequent and uncontrollable, tolterodine can help relieve many of the symptoms of
bladder problems.
Studies have shown tolterodine to be effective in relieving many of the symptoms of an overactive bladder. In clinical studies, people who took the drug significantly reduced the frequency of wetting accidents and needed to use the bathroom less frequently. In addition, people who took tolterodine were able to pass more urine each time they used the bathroom (the frequent muscle contractions of an overactive bladder usually prevent the bladder from holding a normal amount of urine).
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